BEVO BEAT
Football

The importance of turnovers notwithstanding, Texas isn’t just awarding its title belt to defenders

The Texas defense has forced seven turnovers this season. Pats on the back, though, are all the Longhorns should expect when they return to the sideline.

At his weekly press conference on Monday, UT coach Tom Herman said the Longhorns are not among the teams that celebrate turnovers with sideline gimmicks. Texas does have a WWE-style championship belt it uses as an incentive in practices and games. That belt, though, celebrates various achievements and the team’s “1-0” motto. It is not turnover-exclusive.

Said Herman: “I don’t think you need that kind of stuff. Is it fun? Yeah, anytime you can have fun with your kids is great. But I think our guys are fully aware and locked into how powerful taking the ball away on defense is and winning the turnover battle as a team is on winning the game.”

Texas’ seven turnovers rank in a 17-way for 37th among the NCAA’s FBS-level teams. The Longhorns (3-1) are set to travel to Kansas State (2-2) this weekend. The Wildcats have committed eight turnovers this year.

News on Bevo Beat is free and unlimited. Access to the rest of Hookem.com is included with an Austin American-Statesman subscription in addition to Statesman.com and the ePaper edition. Subscribe today at statesman.com/subscribe.